Third to joseph matz



(No Model.) 2 Sheets--Bheet 1, I

` W. T. SLIDER.

BRIDGE FOB. PIRE HOSE. No. 586,205. Patented July 13, 1897.

(No Model.) 2 sheets-sneet 2.

W. T. SLIDER. BRIDGE PoR HRB HOSE.

No. 586,205. Patented July 1s, 1897( M. Wauw. WILL/HM 7.' SLIDER FFICE@ IVILLIAM THOMAS SLIDER, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- THIRD TO JOSEPII MATZ, OF SAME PLACE.

BRIDGE FOR FIRE-HOSE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,205, dated July 18, 1897.

Application tiled February 12, 1897. Serial No. 623,140. (No model.)

T @ZZ whom/ t may con/00771,.-

Bc it known that I, WILLIAM TrIoMns SLIDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bridges for Fire-Hose; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled io in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

i 5 My invention relates to an apparatus that is designed to be used upon the track or rails of street-railways as well as steam-railways; and it consists of the parts and combination of parts whereby I provide a temporary bridge zo adapted to carry the cars over waterhose which may be laid across the tracks during fires or at other times, as-will be more fully described hereinafter, and pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of this character which may be compact in form, so as to be readily handled, quickly connected and placed in position and removed, and which shall be durable and 3o efficient in use; and I attain these objectsl in my invention illustrated in the drawings accompanying.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l represents a plan view oi" a section of railway to 3 5 which my bridge is applied; Fig. 2, a longitudinal sectional view on the line X X of Fig. l; Fig. 3, an end view of the bridge applied to the track, the rails being shown in transverse section; Fig. 4, a central sectional view 4o of the spreading-nut; Fig.- 5, an end view of the spreader; Fig. 6 a sideview of one of the spreader-arms; Fig. 7, a side view of one of the bridge-points, showing its larger portion cut across diagonally; Fig. 8, a bottom plan view of a bridge-point, and Fig. 9 a side elevation of the central portion of the bridge.

In constructing my invention the various parts are composed of such metal as may be best adapted to provide the maximu m strength 5o with the minimum weight.

In the drawings, I-I II designate street-rails as usually constructed.

A A are metallic bridges or elevating-rails, which are arched at the center and have two upper bearing-surfaces corresponding to the 5 5 upper surface of the street-rails, the lower surface g being adapted to carry the wheeliianges or wagon-wheel and the higher surface or track c carrying the treads of the car wheels. The lower track g has a point g and 6o at the under side is provided with claw-teeth g2, while on the side surface, where it comes in contact with the inside of the higher portion of the car-rail, there are claw-teeth m. The tracks e have elongated points e and the under side of these have claw-teeth e2, being adapted to gouge into the street-rails when the weight of the cars are upon them.

The central part of the bridge is preferably inclosed by a web, but is provided with a 7o suitable aperture F to admit the water-hose G. This aperture, when the bridge is not in use, is closed by suitable doors E, which when in use are opened and stand outward and when suitably blocked up at their outer ends provide a substantial support to the bridge laterally. At the inside of each bridgepiece is a pair of lugs d, to which are connected crossed braces B B', which are pivoted to the lugs by means of bolts b. The cross- 8o braces are loosely connected at their centers by means of a suitable bolt f, inserted through suitable slots f in the bars. Vhen the crossbraces are detached from the bridge-rails, they are conveniently held together by means 8 5 of the center bolt j'.

Near each end of the elevating-rails are transverse holes Z', which are preferably square in cross-section and are adapted to receive the ends Z of the spreading-arms O, the 9o .body of the latter being in the form of a cross as seen transversely, having wings h, which provide a stiff brace with comparatively light weight. The opposite end of each arm is provided with screw-threads adapted to engage the screw-threads in the spreadingnut D, the ends d3 of which have screw-threads cl2, those in one end being righthand and those in the opposite end being left-hand. The center of the nut CZ is enlarged and is proroo vided with suitable holes d' therethrough in which to insert a lever. The spreading-arms, with their coupling-nut, are readily detachable from the bridge-rails by contracting their length and withdrawing their ends from the socket-holes.

The whole apparatus is of such design as to permit of being made very light, and7 being detachable, the several parts may be 'handled by any one and quickly placed in position over a line or number of lines of fire-hose, and when the nuts D of the spreading-arms are turned so as to expand the arms are forced into contact with the inner sides of the streetrails, thereby effectively securing` them. It is obvious that a device so constructed is capable of sustaining a street-car While passing above the rails, and my device may also be made sufficiently strong to support steamrailWay cars in a like manner.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- l. The combination with a railway-track of a pair of arched bridge-rails having the upper surfaces corresponding to the upper surfaces of the street-rails, said arched rails having at the central part thereof a suitable aperture to receive lines of water-hose, doors hinged at one side of said bridge-rails provid- .ing a lateral Support, when in their open position; claw-teeth at the under side of each end of said bridge-rails and at the outer side of the lower track thereof adapted to gouge into said street-rails; apertures at the inside of each end of said bridge-rails a lug at each end of said bridge-rails at the inner side thereof, crossed braces pivoted to said lugs connecting the said pair of bridge-rails; spreadingarms adapted to enter said apertures in the rail ends; a spreading-nut suitably threaded and engaging the opposite ends of said spreading-arms by which said rails may be forced apart and in contact with said street-rails substantially as and for the purposes shown and described.

2. In a bridge for fire-hose of the character described the combination of the arched rails A having the claw-teeth e2, g2 and m at the lower sides of the ends thereof, and central opening F, said bridges having the apertures Z and provided with the doors E providing, When open, a lateral brace for said bridgerails; the cross-braces B B connecting said bridge-rails; the spreading-arms C adapted to engage at one end in said apertures Z' and the spreading-nut D connecting the opposite ends of said arms to provide means for spreading said bridge-rails against the inner sides of said track-rails substantially as and for the purposes shown and described.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM THOMAS SLIDER.

Vitnesses:

J No. S. THURMAN,

T. SILvIUs. 

